The Vesper Chronicle
by 9Monkey9
Summary: Set in 2018, four friends, each from different houses stuggle to navigate the complexities of wizarding school. Meanwhile, rumors of something much darker than a potions test are beginning to circulate.
1. Chapter 1

_You never feel more alone than when you're surrounded by people._

She couldn't remember where she had heard that before, but Lucy Dunnock knew in that moment it was true. Platform Nine and Three Quarters was heaving with students and parents who all seemed to know what they were doing. She felt more than a little overwhelmed by the noisy throng. The hubbub seemed to rise in a sharp crescendo and she began to feel like she was drowning.

"Are you all right love?" Her mother turned to Lucy looking vaguely concerned.

"Yeah." Lucy concentrated on her owl, Artemis, trying to ignore the rising panic. She gasped for air as she felt someone being pushed into her leg.

"Sorry!" The cheerful voice cut through the mists of panic and brought Lucy back to the surface. She turned to see who the speaker was and saw a girl about half her size looking up at her with piercing eyes.

"Are you OK?" The tiny witch seemed to be genuinely concerned about her.

"Um yeah, thanks." Lucy mumbled. She was taken aback by the look of worry in this girl's eyes.

"I'm Cassidy by the way."

"Nice to meet you."

Cassidy raised her eyebrows. "And you are?"

"Oh" Lucy blushed. "I'm Lucy."

"Would you like me to show you to the first year coach?"

"Um, I'm not a first year." Lucy blushed. "I'm a fifth year."

"So am I! Funny though, I don't remember seeing you around."

Suddenly Lucy's mum cut in. "Lucy, I need to go now love. I have a meeting with the gallery curator at two."

"OK, bye" Lucy didn't move.

"Do you know where to go?" Her mother asked hesitantly.

"It's OK, I'll show her."

Mrs Dunnock looked down at the tiny witch grinning up at her. She seemed somewhat surprised at the size of the girl, but after a momentary tussle, she decided that her meeting was more important and so she beat a hasty retreat to the brick wall.

Cassidy looked strangely at Lucy for a moment. Before picking up one of the suitcases that had fallen off Lucy's trolley.

"C'mon, let's get on the train."

Lucy heaved a sigh of relief when they finally found an empty compartment. She collapsed back into her seat as Cassidy shut the door. She looked out the window at the sea of people still on the platform. It was mostly parents left, waiting to wave a final goodbye to their children, but there were a few students left. Lucy watched a small first year boy clinging to his mother and howling as an older pupil tried to pull him onto the train.

"So how come I've never seen you around before?"

"I couldn't come to Hogwarts before. I was ill."

"What was the matter with you?"

"Leukaemia."

"Oh, did you have chemo and everything?"

Lucy nodded.

"Your hair's pretty long though."

Lucy ran her fingers through her pale gold hair. It nearly came down to her cheek bones now.

"It was last year."

"So are you better now?"

"Yeah."

Just then, the compartment door opened and a boy entered. He was a tall boy with sandy coloured hair and his nose was bleeding profusely.

"Hello Archie."

"Hi Cass, mind if I join you?" The boy sat down quickly and held his head back in a feeble attempt to stop the bleeding.

"What happened?"

"Ran into the wrong wall again."

Cassidy snorted.

"Arch, you've been here five years and you still don't know which wall leads to the platform."

Archie grinned and then winced. Cassidy rolled her eyes and the rummaged around in her backpack.

"Here." She said, handing him a small bottle. "Rub this onto your nose."

Archie opened the bottle and looked inside suspiciously.

"It looks gross."

"Oh just get on with it."

Gingerly, he dipped his finger inside and pulled out a dark, sticky blob of ointment that squelched suspiciously as he rubbed it on the bridge of his nose. Lucy stared in amazement as the ointment immediately sank into his skin and the bleeding stopped.

"Thanks." Archie grinned, handing the bottle back.

Then the door opened again. Madam Hooch held a tall, dark hared boy by his collar.

"Einar Selwyn, if you insist on behaving like a child, I shall treat you like a child. - Apologies ladies and gentleman, but for all out sakes please make sure Einar does not leave this compartment even for a second." She pushed the boy inside. "Oh, and make sure his 'friends' don't come in either. Cassidy, I'm sure you're more than capable of managing him." And so saying, she left.

The boy slumped down in the only corner that wasn't taken. Cassidy and Archie looked as if a bad smell had been let in. The boy glared darkly at them.

"What? It's not my fault."

Archie snorted derisively.

"Yeah sure." Cassidy rolled her eyes. "And next you'll be telling us Merlin was a muggle."

The boy hunched up defensively and ignored her.

Cassidy turned back to Lucy.

"So do you have to be sorted into a house like the first years then?"

"Err..." Lucy floundered, not quite sure what she was being asked.

Cassidy sighed. "There are four different houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. I'm in Ravenclaw. We're known for our intelligence and creativity. Gryffindor's are known for their bravery and nerve. Archie is a Hufflepuff, they're known for their loyalty and kindness, and he's in Slytherin." She said, jerking her head towards the other boy.

"And what's Slytherin like?"

"We're cunning and ambitious." The boy said.

"Evil more like." Muttered Archie.

The boy stood up angrily. "Say that again, I dare you!"

Archie stood up defensively. Both boys were tall, although Archie was slightly taller, but he was like a stick compared to the other boy who looked like he had probably spent more than a few days in the gym.

"Calm down!" said Cassidy who stood up too, although she was so small that it sort of had the reverse effect.

Lucy sat there, quietly watching the three of them.

After a brief and loaded pause, the Slytherin boy sat down and Archie followed suit. Cassidy heaved a sigh of relief and sat down as well.

"I would have beaten you anyway." The boy muttered.

"Lier!" Archie sprang back up again.

"Archie!" Cassidy looked angrily at him and he sat down again, sheepishly.

There was an awkward silence.

"So which house do you think you'll be in?" Said Cassidy, desperately trying to break the silence.

"I don't know, I don't really fit into any of those categories."

"Will you have to have lessons with the first years to catch up on all the stuff you've missed?"

"No but I think I'm supposed to have extra lessons with Professor McGonagall so I can catch up."

Archie whistled. "McGonagall scares the life out of me."

"I've met her a few times before." Said Lucy, pleased to be finally talking about something she knew. "She came round every year while I was ill to check on how I was doing and see if I could start school soon, and she came over the summer to check that I had everything ready and to talk to my parents about how I was going to catch up on all the work I'd missed."

"How did you control your magic? I thought witches and wizards had to begin their training at age eleven or their magic starts to get too powerful."

"Well that did happen a bit over the summer, but before then I was too ill to really do anything at all. Professor McGonagall said that while I was ill, my magic was weakened so they didn't need to worry about it."

"Didn't your parents teach you a bit?"

Lucy shook her head.

"No one in my family is magic."

"Nice! I'm a muggle too." said Archie, grabbing her hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

"What's a muggle? I mean I heard Professor McGonagall use that word, but she never really explained it to me."

The Slytherin boy rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh boy, this is going to be a long journey!"

"It's the word we use for non-magical people." explained Cassidy, ignoring the Slytherin boy.

"I like your owl." interrupted Archie.

"Thanks, her name's Artemis."

"Artemis? The Greek goddess of the hunt? Surely you should have named her Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom whose symbol was an owl.?" Cassidy looked confused.

"Oh, I thought Artemis was the owl one. I don't really know much about Greek mythology."

Archie laughed. "Why didn't you just Google it?"

"What's Google?" said the Slytherin boy.

Archie rolled his eyes and sighed. "Oh boy, this is going to be a long journey."


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy stepped onto the platform exhaustedly. Their journey had been long and they had talked the entire way. There were so many things she had learnt, and so many things she still had to learn, she didn't think she would ever manage to catch up with her classmates. Still, Cassidy and Archie were nice, maybe she might even be friends with them.

"Lucy Dunnock." It was Professor McGonagall. "Would you step this way please?"

Archie looked at Lucy sympathetically. "Don't worry, I don't think they lock students in the dungeons any more." Cassidy hit him. "Ow! What was that for?"

Lucy smiled nervously and followed the headmistress.

"Because you haven't been sorted into a house yet, you will have to go with the first years for the time being. Please follow me."

Lucy was put in a boat with the boy she had seen crying at Kings Cross. He was still sniffling and one of the first year girls was comforting him. Wordlessly, Lucy handed the little boy a tissue.

He stammered his thanks and shyly introduced himself as Harry Creevy. The girl who was looking after him soon introduced herself as Joy Thomas. The two first years chatted almost incessantly the whole way there. They were both from wizarding families so they both seemed to know everything about the school already.

"My Dad fought in the Battle of Hogwarts." said Joy proudly. "He even shared a room with Harry Potter."

"My Uncle died in the Battle of Hogwarts." said Harry, quietly.

"Oh I'm sorry."

"It's OK, I never knew him."

After that they fell silent. The lake was pitch black and apart from the muffled chatter that drifted across the lake from the other boast, and the occasional lap of the water, everything was still and peaceful.

Suddenly, the mountains gave way and a huge castle loomed in front of them. Loud gasps rose from every boat at the sight of the brightly-lit school.

"It's beautiful." Breathed Joy.

"Oh my!" Harry's face lit up.

Lucy sat perfectly still, gazing in awe at her new school. It was nothing like she'd imagined, and yet at the same time it seemed perfect. She had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now it was here, she could barely believe it.

...

Lucy looked out at the sea of heads in the Great Hall, nervously. She was stood with the first years who were all huddled together on the stage. She had listened intently as the Sorting Hat had chanted its strange poem and watched as one by one, the first years were called up. A blonde girl called Keira Ainsley had been put in Slytherin, Harry Creevy was sorted into Gryffindor and a boy called Tony Longbottom had also gone to Gryffindor. After that, Lucy had lost interest and instead looked out at the sea of pupils. She soon caught sight of Cassidy who grinned at her. Then she zoned back in again.

Lucas Norton...RAVENCLAW, Harvey Peters...HUFFLEPUFF – wait a moment, they had missed her name. Lucy tried to stay calm, as the names were called out.

Maria Rathbourne...GRYFFINDOR

She tried to get her breathing under control, but she felt like a boa constrictor had wrapped itself around her chest.

Felix Zabini...SLYTHERIN

She had to get out of that hot room, she needed some fresh air-

"And now," Professor McGonagall announced. "We have a new student joining us in the fifth year." She beckoned to Lucy who stepped forward. She felt like her legs were going to give way.

"Lucy Dunnock."

The hat was placed on her head. There was a momentary pause and then … GRYFFINDOR!

Professor McGonagall motioned towards the Gryffindor table and Lucy shakily made her way towards it and sat down, feeling sick.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Antonia Bushby. This is Joe Rathbourne, Jackie Haydon, Maddie and Florian Carmichael, Tim Drew and Elijah Wood." She indicated to the other fifth years at the table. Lucy smiled weakly at them all.

"Are you OK?" asked Maddie Carmichael

"You look awful." added her brother.

"I'm fine, just a bit tired, that's all."

Lucy looked around the room. She focused on the Gryffindor 1st years. Joy Thomas had been sorted into Gryffindor and she was sat next to Tony Longbottom who was attempting to wedge a carrot stick in the nose of Harry, who had fallen asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day at breakfast, Maddie, Jackie and Antonia could barely keep their eyes open. They had stayed up until three in the morning, catching up on all their news. Lucy had gone to bed as soon as she could, but while she was drifting off, she couldn't help overhearing their conversation. From the little she had heard, She gathered that Antonia was from a wizarding family but the other two were from muggle families. Apparently Maddie was going out with Elijah, whose dad was a famous sports player, but they never mentioned the sport. After, that, Lucy had fallen asleep.

As they were finishing breakfast, Lucy felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see Cassidy and Archie. Cassidy looked calm and collected. Archie was grinning like a loony and had jam on his chin.

"We were wondering if you wanted someone to show you around?"

"Yeah that'd be great!" Lucy looked at her timetable and her face fell. "Oh, I have potions with Slytherin first."

Archie pulled a face.

"Well if we leave now we'll have time to take you there and still get to flying on time."

"Wait, you have flying lessons?" Lucy exclaimed as she scrambled up from the bench.

"Well of course we do – we're witches." Called Cassidy as she briskly set off down the hall, followed by Archie who had found more toast from somewhere.

Despite her short legs, Cassidy was surprisingly hard to keep up with. There were so many interesting things to look at along the way that Lucy kept on stopping and then running to catch up with them again. And every time she would yell something like "Hey, the paintings move!", Archie would turn around to comment and Lucy would find herself sprayed with toast crumbs.

Soon, and somewhat stickier than before, they arrived in the dungeons. Most of the Slytherins were already there.

"What's your next lesson?" Cassidy asked, eyeing the Slytherins suspiciously.

"Er, Herbology with Hufflepuff I think."

"Oh good, you're gonna love Herbology – can I go partners with you?"

"Um yeah, sure."

"Herbology is really interesting." Cassidy said, and then she grinned. "Plus the Herbology teacher is really fit."

Archie rolled his eyes "Honestly, girls."

Cassidy laughed as the walked up the stairs, leaving Lucy alone with the Slytherins. She shifted nervously and leaned up against the wall. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Slytherin boy from the train. He was talking to some other boys. Then he turned and walked over to her.

"You the new girl?"

Lucy nodded.

"I'm Einar." He held out his hand awkwardly.

"Lucy." she smiled nervously and shook his hand.

A Slytherin girl came to join them.

"I suppose they told you all about us."

"Well-"

Lucy was about to reply, when the rest of Gryffindor came piling down the stairs. Einar and the other girl hastily returned to their friends.

"Lucy!" Maddie came bouncing up to her. "Thank goodness we found you! We thought you were lost or something."

"Some people I met on the train offered to show me around." she explained.

"They weren't Slytherins were they?" Asked Florian suspiciously.

Just then the door to the potions lab opened and Professor Slughorn ushered them inside.

Lucy found Potions very boring. Slughorn was very doddery and kept forgetting where his train of thought was going. All she could think about was flying lessons.

Herbology wasn't much more interesting, but working with Archie was great. He was so much fun and hilariously clumsy. By the time the lesson was over, he had smashed two plant pots and both of them were covered in earth. She walked out of the greenhouse feeling light as air. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so much. And Cassidy was right, Professor Longbottom was very fit.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why does everyone hate Slytherin so much?"

They were sat on a large windowsill together, doing homework. Lucy had been at Hogwarts a week now, and it was something that really bothered her. She hadn't spoken to Einar or any of the other Slytherins since her first day, but she had certainly heard a lot about them.

"In the nineties, there was this really powerful dark wizard called Voldemort-"

"He was basically like Hitler but with magic."

"Please don't interrupt me." Cassidy frowned. "Anyway, as I was saying, he was a Slytherin and all his followers-"

"Called Death Eaters"

Cassidy glared at Archie.

"His followers were basically all from Slytherin as well. To cut a long story short, there was a huge battle here at Hogwarts and Voldemort got defeated by a Gryffindor called Harry Potter-

"He was like the chosen one and, oh-" Archie tailed off as he realised Cassidy was giving him a terrifying death stare.

"Although Voldemort was defeated, loads of people died in the battle. It was really tragic. A lot of Slytherin parents are in prison for what they did in those times. Every wizarding family has someone close that was either killed or seriously hurt by Voldemort's cruel reign. That's why everyone hates Slytherin so much."

"So is Slytherin the evil house then?"

"Definitely." said Archie, nodding emphatically.

"Well technically no, the Sorting Hat says that they're cunning and ambitious, but not necessarily evil. But most of the pure-blooded families are in Slytherin and most of the pure-blooded families were Death Eaters."

Lucy couldn't help feeling sorry for the Slytherins. "But surely the current generation of Slytherins don't deserve to be discriminated against for something that happened before they died?"

"You wouldn't understand." Archie brushed her off.

"Neither would you? You're muggle-born!"

Archie shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah but you can tell they're evil even so."

"Changing the subject," Cassidy interupted, "I'm off to the library, anyone wanna come?"

"What have you finished your charms homework already?"

"No I'll do it later, I have a book to read."

Archie rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I swear you spend half your life in the library."

"So what? You spend half your life eating."

"I do not"

"Whatever, do you want to come or not?"

"Nah, I'm going to go raid the kitchens."

Cassidy walked off, shaking her head and muttering something about brains and sieves. Archie walked off in the other direction, muttering something about toast. Lucy stayed sat in the windowsill, finishing her essay about the Pendle Witches.

Suddenly, she was aware of someone sitting down beside her. She looked up and saw Einar.

"Hey."

"You want some help with that?"

Lucy smiled. "Do you know anything about 17th century witch trials?"

"Well one of them was an ancestor so..."

"Is everyone is your family magic?"

"Pretty much, my ancestors were some of the first people to go to this school."

"And did they all get put in Slytherin?"

"Every single one of them."

There was a pause, while Lucy leafed through a textbook the size of a brick.

"I don't wish to sound insensitive, but were any of your family death eaters?"

Einar's face clouded over. "Do you want help with that essay or not?"

"Yeah sorry."

That evening, the Gryffindor Fifth Year girls taught Lucy how to play exploding snap.

"So," Maddie grinned, "any boys caught your eye yet?"

Lucy smiled, "Not yet, but there is one guy who seems quite nice..."

"Who!"

"You're not gonna like it..."

"Aw c'mon just tell us."

"Einar Selwyn."

Maddie rolled around on the floor, laughing for about a minute.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Jackie had a HUGE crush on him in second year." Antonia explained.

"Shut up." Jackie was rapidly turning tomato-red.

"She even wrote him a love-letter."

"Shut up now."

Maddie joined in, "And she-"

"SILENCIO!"


End file.
